If it weren't for Bettman's 2004 lock out the Oilers, Flames and other teams might not exist right now.

Oh, and every talented player in the league would be either a Ranger or Red Wing,

The NHLPA has had NOTHING to complain about since the 70's. The people who finance the hockey business SHOULD take home the lions share of the profits, thereby keeping Hockey a profitable business.

If the players want to partner up and start their OWN league with their OWN money then they can keep all the profits and pay themselves as much as they want.

But they would never risk their own money, they want owners to do that.

Well, he who takes the biggest risk deserves the biggest reward and in the case of the NHL that is the OWNERS.

Those teams only had trouble due to his reckless and greedy pursuit of the corporate dollar at the cost of the fans, maybe you can afford $300 jerseys, $250 tickets and $10 a beer but most people can't. He has ruined the game not made it better, or maybe the corrupt and incompetent officiating and 30 teams that play the same way because there aren't enough elite players for 30 teams appeals to you, perhaps the Coyotes circus and half the teams bleeding red ink is good for the league in some twisted logic of yours? This is purely the owners greed and Bettman NOT doing his job that is the root of the problem, his job is not to make an elite inner circle like Snider and Jacobs rich, he is hired by the owners but doesn't work for them, his job is to work OUTSIDE the owners and protect the integrity of the game and the trust of the fans, does it look like he has done that? The owners job is to make money, Bettmans job is to ensure that they do it an an ethical and legal manner, he is supposed to root out corruption, not encourage and participate in it.

The owners want to keep teams in ridiculous locations like Phoenix, Columbus and Florida, they should pay for with better revenue sharing, not simply by taking more from the players. This isn't owners vs players, it's an owners vs owners issue. They wrote the current CBA after throwing away an entire season to get it, and forced the players to accept at gunpoint and immediately began poking holes in it (the players and Bob Goodenough BTW said that it wouldn't work and we'd be back to this issue and here we are). Bettman represents everything that is wrong with pro sports in general, greed, corruption, lies, hypocracy, and a total distain for the fans who foot the bill. More money does not make things better, it makes things worse by creating an endless quest for more. Someone was once asked how cocaine makes you feel and the reply was, it makes you feel like doing more cocaine, money has the same effect.

Introduced the Fox glowing puck, which was so ludicrous commercials openly mocked it?

Expanded the league to the detriment of the on-ice product?

Saw no issue with a clear conflict of interest issue withs Colin Campbell?

Has locked out the players 2 times, with a third days away?

Insists on keeping unprofitable franchises in bad locations while asking players to foot the bill?

Sounds like he's really responsible for making hockey great. Definitely more so than the players who actually play the sport.

...No he's been responsible for 1 lockout. He wasn't commissioner for 94 and those are all minor "mistakes". The 2005 lockout was the greatest thing to happen to the NHL in terms of business and changed how the game is played in a better way. To say differently is silly.

Hockey is now followed more than the NBA, attendance numbers are growing, its a lot more entertaining to watch as it is now a faster paced game, and the list goes on.

Stop acting like he's the only "greedy" one. He's representing the owners just as much as Don Fehr is representing the players. Don Fehr and the players could easily just accept a deal but no they're just as stubborn as Bettman and the owners. When players are making +$8M contracts over +10 seasons, then that's what's ruining the game of hockey and that's what Bettman wants to stop.

...No he's been responsible for 1 lockout. He wasn't commissioner for 94 and those are all minor "mistakes". The 2005 lockout was the greatest thing to happen to the NHL in terms of business and changed how the game is played in a better way. To say differently is silly.

Hockey is now followed more than the NBA, attendance numbers are growing, its a lot more entertaining to watch as it is now a faster paced game, and the list goes on.

Stop acting like he's the only "greedy" one. He's representing the owners just as much as Don Fehr is representing the players. Don Fehr and the players could easily just accept a deal but no they're just as stubborn as Bettman and the owners. When players are making +$8M contracts over +10 seasons, then that's what's ruining the game of hockey and that's what Bettman wants to stop.

Yes, Fehr and the Players are greedy, but from what this year's negotiations say, Bettman and the owner's are more greedy. The players offered a deal very similar to the current one, but the NHL turned it down, saying that they were not even close to coming to a deal. That shows that the NHLPA was willing to be satisfied and content with what we already have, but the NHL was wanting more.

No real side to take. Issues and problems on both sides. Owners give out ridiculous contracts, but its at the fans and players request.

It aint like Sidney Crosby asked for 2 million and Penguins ownership said, "pfft, screw that. you're getting 9 million whether you want it or not.". Players see it as a contract negotiation and owners see it as a ransom demand cause they have to pay it.

Would people applaud Canucks ownership if they felt 6million was too much for the Sedins and let them walk? Would fans here be happy that thier owner took a hard stance against outrageous contracts and decided to be more fiscally responsible when it came to negotiating with Hank and Daniel?

Its easy to say to owners dont give out big contracts...its also easy to say our owner is cheap cause he isnt spending enough.

If it weren't for Bettman's 2004 lock out the Oilers, Flames and other teams might not exist right now.

Oh, and every talented player in the league would be either a Ranger or Red Wing,

The NHLPA has had NOTHING to complain about since the 70's. The people who finance the hockey business SHOULD take home the lions share of the profits, thereby keeping Hockey a profitable business.

If the players want to partner up and start their OWN league with their OWN money then they can keep all the profits and pay themselves as much as they want.

But they would never risk their own money, they want owners to do that.

Well, he who takes the biggest risk deserves the biggest reward and in the case of the NHL that is the OWNERS.

The league owns the stanley cup and all the rights to the NHL.

You know what the NHL should do ? FIRE all the players.

Let other players who want to play go into the NHL and play for the teams. Have tryouts even . One year contracts.

Let the NHLPA try to start up another WHA and see how easy it is. Hell, they cant even get an owner for the Coyotes let alone enough to start a league .

The NHL can have sub par players for a year or two before all the regular players leave the NHLPA and try to get back in the NHL and the new players entering the draft can refuse the NHLPA and start their own new union that has a deal with the owners.

Once the CBA runs out in 4 days, the NHL can tell them all to get lost.